Morning journal and courier., 1887-04-23
IN POOL OF VITRIOL.
John Rapp's Awful Experience In a
Chemical Factory-Brutal Work.

Chemical Factory-Brutal Work.
men.
[From the Cincinnati Enquirer.l
At the chemical works of E. Grassell &
Co., John Rapp, a man about thirty seven
years of age, is employed as helper to the
engineer. There are two large vats on the
first floor of the establishment. One divi-
sion was about one hundred feet long and
the other about twenty feet in length. The
width was thirty-three feet and the depth
twenty-five. The watts are made of sheet
lead. The liquid vitriol is poured into these
large receptacles preparatory to being used.
Frequently the lead springs leak, which
can only be stopped by plastering the spot
with white lead. Recently the workmen
have had considerable trouble of this kind,
and yesterday there were two serious breaks.
The first occurred early in the afternoon and
caused great excitement among the employees.
Rapp, with more presence OF mind than the
rest, hurried to the leaking chamber and
stopped the hole with white lead.
About half-past three another and more Sc
rious break was discovered. The workmen
shouted to Rapp, who came running imme
diately to the rescue. The acid was running
over the floor. At the time there was only
two or three inches of vitriol in the larger
vat, but the smaller one contained about two
feet. The two vats were separated by a low
lead fence. Rapp hurriedly put on wooden
shoes and climbed down into the big vat.
He found that it would be impossible 20 stop
the leak in the usual way, SO he shouted for
an axe, which was let down to him. He
made his way to the small fence, his inten-
ton being to cut it. He had made only one
or two slashes when his foot slipped. The
axe slipped from his hand and was thrown
into the big pool of acid. Rapp had fallen
over on the lead fence, and as the vitriol
splashed large quantity struck him full in
the face and breast As he was working
around the hot furnace he wore a woolen
shirt and this was unbuttoned and opened.
His face body and uncovered arms were del
uged with the burning fluid. The acid
blinded him and, falling on his knees, he be-
gan to crawl along the bottom OF the big vat
to the steps at the upper end.
The vitriol had in the meantime eaten OFT
his wooden shoes, and he crawled his
hands were buried in the fiery fluid and his
clothing burned off wherever it came IN con-
tact with the liquid. He CROPPED his way to
the place of exit, where he was assisted by
his fellow werkmen. Rapp's agony was
friohtfui when he was taken out of the vat.
He rolled about the floor and, crazed with
main begged for some one to hit him IN
the head and kill him, The workmen, with
unpardenable Indifference, allowed the blind
ed man to go out alone anc. grope MS way 10
his home, which is not sar distant. A young
doctor from the Marine hospital was called
and covered the scaldsd man with oil and
saturated cloths. When seen by an Enquir-
er reporter last night Rapp was in fright
full condition. His eyes were swollen and
closed, and it is very doubtful whether he
will ever see out of them again. His face,
neck, hands and arms were horribly blistered
and his chest one mass of burned flesh. The
,,oip had somewbat subsidized. but he was
still enduring indescribable torture. Be
tween his groans from pain he described
with difficulty his terrible experience in the
vat, and harshly blamed his fellow workmen
for the way they had treated him after ne
had been rescued